10 New Reasons to Home School

1. There is no “how to”. You get to make your own decisions about what is important in education. You get to read lots of books and do lots of research to ultimately to figure out who you are, and sooner rather than "too-later" you will learn, since there is no “right” way to educate you are free to find your way.
2. People will always ask you why you homeschool. Then you get to deal with their questions somehow. This helps you refine your own thinking and reasons. Your children respond positively to your increased confidence. This. Positive. Process. Never. Ends. You will become sharp as a tack.
3. It is very likely that someone you love will absolutely love the fact that you are homeschooling, and will make it clear. This will be a nice reinforcing moment. It is a wonderful feeling to stand firm in what you believe and finally be vindicated. In the end, you get along better with them if you do stand firm and let them come to their senses in their own way.
4. You get to create your own social networks and you are able to make friends without the constructs of a school setting. Truly the master of your own destiny. And the kids get to learn how to get along with people in the real world after they have a foundation in sound values that last. The values YOU give them. The real world is scary sometimes, and it’s not always easy to know how to meet people. Your choice to build them up first in your values really pays off now, in their ease and comfort associating with others.
5. You will get to answer all of your kids’ questions. This contributes to your own discovery journey. And sometimes, (ok, maybe often), you’ll have to admit that you don’t know something. Wow,is that empowering! Instead of saying, “Ask your teacher tomorrow” and putting the teacher in the position of "hero" you will instead, get to say, “Let’s look it up together” and over time you will be their hero.
6. The first step to successful homeschooling is to let go of everything you ever knew about education, and to start from scratch. This enables you to build and always take with you the effort you put into this process. Relationships and knowledge are all you take with you when you die, so you are the richer for the journey. Since you have doubts about how government school works, over time you will be surprised and pleased at how different homeschooling is from that version of reality. New beginnings are a way of life, with each day beginning with no mistakes in it. Every little incremental improvement is YOUR step and you get the joy from it. No wonder people see you as peaceful and happy.
7. There are a million things to buy out there and buying none of them is a real option. While it’s easy to get sucked into the “it’s for our kids’ education” trap, you learn that developing your children isn't so much tied to what you purchase as it is to what experiences you enable them to enjoy. And homeschool conferences. They can really help you re-create enthusiasm by getting reinforcement in what feels good to you and easily discarding ideas that just don't play well in your mind. They are like going to an endless mall of educational materials and ideas and you don't have to buy any of them to be successful. That really feels good. If you go to too many of them, you may even be coerced into speaking at one. It is then that you really begin to articulate your own philosophy and this articulation is now available for your children and grandchildren because it is now written down.
8. Even if millions of parents have homeschooled before, and nobody will be able to tell you what to expect, there are some of those millions who will be able to empathize with you as you negotiate the path. Reaching out until you find your own support group not only helps you succeed at home, but will develop life long friends. Homeschooling is like being a parent - every family is different, so you don't have to assume the identity of another family's values. And you’re going to have the freedom to become your own expert and do a lot of research, coming to your own conclusions. The research is part of your journey. And make no mistake about that, life is not the journey of your kids alone. It is much more your journey that they get to see and benefit from. And sometimes life is less cerebrial and more heart and feeling. You will get to experience both. So, once you’ve decided to homeschool, you will be spending just as much time as your kids with your nose in a book, or doing on-site research (park days and info nights) because you decided long ago that life isn't a spectator sport. You have your own interests that you are active in pursuing. In fact, all along the way, you’ll probably be learning a lot more than your kids are. That is a dream come true.
9. You get to fill your house with books, magazines, science projects and pencils. Your bathroom was a library long ago so that is ok. And what’s better, is that whenever someone starts talking about a topic, you will wonder, “That's an interesting topic. I wonder if we have a book on that! Later on today or tomorrow, I am going to check.” People will be lifted and energized by being told all about the nuts and bolts of your son taking a radio apart. We have never had anyone bug us in 27 years for help on their school science projects. Even if they did, they are welcome to any resources we have to offer.
10. You are free. Completely and totally free. And you have the good part of the responsibility too. This is the perfect match for your own personal growth. Any other way will leave you ever dining but never satisfied. Instead you will feel a deep sense of harmony with your divine purpose. There is nothing that compares with that feeling. If you need a hand, drop us an email. [;-)]

PS. The inspiration for this entry was here, 10 Reasons Not to Home School. Just thinking over here too.